A new name, and familiar faces

Wayne Butterfield could have walked away. After nearly four decades in printing, he had plenty of experience and other work to keep him busy.

But there were customers to think about. Employees, too.

Instead, he and his wife, Pam, started their own business.

The Butterfields own Sparta Printing, which Wayne established after purchasing the printing operation from Evans Print and Media Group. Former owner Greg Evans decided to retire and sell his business, leaving Wayne to decide what to do with the work he had helped oversee for 18 years.

"I felt obligated to all my customers," Wayne said.  "Our customers are number one. And to me, that's the most important thing."

He knew how much people relied on the shop. As word of the sale spread, customers began calling with questions about where they would take their work and whether they needed to collect their files. Some were concerned about having to travel to La Crosse or Black River Falls.

Wayne wanted to keep a printer here.

That was part of why they chose the name Sparta Printing. It also reflects what the Butterfields hope the business will become: a local operation they can eventually pass to the people who work there.

Wayne said their goal is to spend five to 10 years establishing the business and running it well, then arrange for employees to take over ownership.

For now, there is plenty to do.

The transition required moving equipment and supplies between buildings in a couple of weeks, while continuing to fill orders. Finding everything after the move and getting it working in the new space took time.

Wayne has been juggling the production schedule, emails, customer requests, and ownership responsibilities. Pam helps at the shop around her other job.

"It has been fun," she said with a smile. "It's been a challenge, but a little bit of this has been fun."

Wayne started in printing in 1986, apprenticing at La Crosse Graphics and attending school for printing. He worked with presses before moving into management.

The equipment has changed considerably since then.

With offset printing, a job required plates, ink, and wasting stacks of paper to set up the press correctly. Digital equipment has reduced that preparation, Wayne said, and some jobs now come off the machine assembled.

A catalog can begin as blank paper and emerge printed, stapled and trimmed. What used to take several steps can happen in one pass.

"It's expensive, but it's incredible," Wayne said.

Wayne credits Evans with giving him room to learn and bring changes into the operation. He plans to keep up with equipment, but every purchase has to make business sense. The aim is to shorten production time, reduce waste, and keep costs manageable for customers.

Not every job is a catalog or a large order. The shop also handles business cards, signs, newsletters, manuals, and mailing projects. Wayne said its newsletter customers include the Monroe County Historical Society, and the business prints three Amish newsletters.

He makes regular deliveries to customers outside Sparta. In the Amish community, those visits often lead to another order through a conversation or a referral.

"We were up on the ridge near Cashton one day, and an Amish gentleman stopped his buggy and flagged Wayne down while we were driving down the road and said, 'This is what I need," Pam said.

Someone sees a sign, asks who made it, and calls Wayne.

Pam said those relationships follow him beyond the shop. During one conversation with an Amish woman, she mentioned that Wayne had printed materials for the woman's brother's wedding. The woman immediately knew who she meant and wanted to talk with him.

Inside the shop, Wayne wants customers to have that same access.

They can look at paper, check a proof, and explain what they need in person. When someone calls with a last-minute problem, employees try to find room in the schedule.

"We try to help out our customers as much as we can," Wayne said.

"Just focus on serving the community in a friendly atmosphere where people feel like they can come in and talk to someone."

At the time of the interview, Wayne was preparing a new website. Plans included online payments and private business portals where customers could reorder their usual products.

They have also added an electric bicycle delivery option, with Aaron Arnold delivering products around Sparta.

Mailing work is another part of the operation. Wayne handles projects that require preparing printed pieces, organizing addresses, and meeting postal requirements before the material can go out.

There is a lot to keep track of. Still, he said, the work comes back to the people placing the orders and the employees producing them.

The Butterfields want to buy locally when they can and support community projects as the business grows. Wayne also hopes to add equipment and employees. He wants people to feel comfortable coming through the door or picking up the phone.

He also values employees' time outside the shop. The business closes at noon on Fridays so employees can get an early start on the weekend with their families.

"At the end of the day, we get to go home to our families," Wayne said. "That's what it's all about. I want happy employees and happy customers. That's my goal."

Sparta Printing

402 S. Black River Street

Suite 450

Sparta

For more information, visit their website at https://www.spartaprinting.com/

(608) 269-9797

Monday through Thursday 08:00 to 04:00

Friday 8:00 to 12:00